Merle's Redemption
by Laurabeast
Summary: What if Merle had found something worth changing for?


** I don't own any of this, I just like the characters, enjoy and please review!**

Once Rick had left her Sophia had done as he'd told her kept the sun on her shoulder and tried to head back to the road, but then a hulking man, no a hulking walker had seen her and chased her off her path and now she was wondering cold and lost. She had lost her doll in the river, and was left with no form of comfort, she'd crawled into the closet of a cabin she'd found eating bits of bread around the mold, but hunger still gnawed at her.

She wanted to stay right there until Daryl, or Carl found her, she felt safe in her little closet, but she wasn't, after a day or so a walker wandered in from outside, and had her closed up in the closet terrified she was going to die. After countless hours of the walker banging on the door trying to get to her, it suddenly stopped and was followed by a sickening wet crunch, then a heavy dull thud, and the door to her hiding place was ripped open.

A tall wide shouldered man was holding one big metal arm up ready to kill, a knife mounted on the end of it, but no hand, he looked down with a wicked grin at what he'd found, but before he could think to scoop the girl up to take back to the governor her tiny voice stopped him.

"M, Merle?" She squeaked, how the fuck did this little girl know his name, he looked her over more closely this time she did look a bit familiar, but for the life of him he couldn't remember why.

"Do I know you kid?" He asked, she launched out of the closet hugging his waist, Merle jumped at her totally unexpected gesture.

"Daryl will be so happy I found you!" She giggled, so relived to have found some one she new someone who could protect her.

"What'd ya just say girl?" Merle asked in disbelief, this little girl was from the group in the quarry, she knew where his brother was.

"Daryl, he's been trying to find you, he wouldn't say, but he misses you." She told him, he scooped the girl up spinning her around happily.

"You tiny little God send, where's the group, where's my brother?" He asked, she frowned tears brimming in her eyes.

"On the highway, walkers chased me, and now I'm lost. Are you gonna take me back to them, I don't like being lost." Sophia told him, he lifted her up putting her safely on his shoulders.

"Don't you worry girly, I'll take you back, your safe with good old Merle." Merle told her happily, he took her back to his truck, She climbed in curling up in the corner exhausted, he got in starting the truck up he'd head back, tell the governor the news, then go find his brother.

The girl rolled restlessly finally curling up on Merle's lap he looked down at the tiny blond, she looked so fragile, so innocent, he couldn't bring her to the governor, ya he protected people, but Merle didn't trust him, he was as likely to kill a new comer as keep 'em around, and this little girl had nothing to offer the group to ensure she'd be kept alive.

Merle pulled over before he got too close to the governor's walls, he owed the man his life, and he couldn't up and leave without telling him, but he couldn't let him know how he'd gotten this knew lead.

He pulled a huge tarp out of the back of his truck, he folded it a couple of times before opening the passenger side door. He had a bit of a drive and the girl could be comfortable at least on the drive there. He covered her carefully in the tarp.

"Now girl I gotta go talk to some folk before I take you home, but these ain't nice folk, so I need ya to stay in the truck under this here tarp till I come back ya hear?" He asked once they started driving again, she looked up at him and nodded. "You sure ya can handle that?" He pressed, he didn't want to lose his only lead to his brother.

"Yes, me and Mamma used to play a game like that, she'd hide me under the bed and tell me not to make a sound while her and Daddy talked, but they never talked, he just hit her." Sophia explained, Merle felt a pang of guilt, before his own Mamma had died in that fire she used to do that with him and little Daryl, no kid deserved to hear there Mamma beat.

"I won't be long." He promised soothing her hair down in the most caring gesture he could manage, he'd never been this way with anyone but Daryl, and it felt awkward, but he'd deal. It was hours before they made it to the governor's, Sophia was asleep, he woke her carefully.

"Time to play kid." He told her covering her in the tarp, the gates opened and Merle pulled his truck to where he always left it, he locked the doors, it was all he could do at this point, he pulled his other findings out of the back of the truck, everyday stuff the town needed. He brought them in to the supply area, when no one was watching he picked out a set of throwing knives, and small light pistol, and a couple boxes of ammo for that, and his own gun, that he threw in the bag he'd carried things in with.

He took the bag back tossing it in the back of his truck, which already had a good amount of provisions in it, he went out alone a lot. Next he went to find the Governor, to give him a report on his findings.

"Merle, good, how was the run?" The Governor asked turning his attention from his pencil necked scientist.

"Good, found some good stuff, but that ain't why I'm here, I found a lead on my brother, I think I know where he's at." Merle told him, a bit on edge, he knew it wouldn't be easy to convince him to let him go alone.

"Good, what did you find?" He asked, Merle sighed, he hated having to explain himself it was like being back at home with his pa.

"Found some a there things, think they're on that highway, I'm gonna go find out." Merle told him taking a shot at turning to leave.

"Now Merle, we can't have you wandering off alone, I don't want to lose you." The Governor told him, the scientist rolled his eyes he knew a fair share of this group wouldn't mind losing him, just like every group he'd ever been with.

"Ain't gonna wonder, gonna drive out to the highway, two days each way if I take a safe rout, maybe a bit more, don't need a fucking baby sitter." Merle growled, the Governor looked him up and down for a minute.

"We can only spare enough fuel to get there and back so don't waste it." The governor told him, Merle sighed he hadn't known what he would have done if the governor had told him no. He hurried and collected all the fuel and food they'd give him. They made him stay until morning too, he went out to the truck that night with his food.

"Hey kid, better eat something, but don't let nobody see ya, we're almost out a here." He promised handing her a plate of food, she looked on the verge of tears she was so happy to have food, and know that he was okay. In the morning he left as soon as the pale light of sunrise hit the horizon, Sophia climbed out from under the tarp the second he told her it was okay.

"I have to pee." She pleaded, he pulled over letting her relieve herself on the opposite side of the truck.

"What's your name kid?" Merle asked once they'd gotten back in the truck and he'd given her a bottle of water and a bag of jerky from his glove box.

"Sophia." She told him happily through a full mouth, still didn't ring any bells, but he hadn't been that big a part of the group, that had been more Daryl's style.

"Good name." He said for lack of something else to say.

"Mamma named me after her grandma, she says it means that I'm wise, what does Merle mean?" She asked, he laughed shaking his head.

"That my Mamma didn't finish high school." He explained, Sophia giggled stuffing her mouth full again.

"Did you and Daryl finish school, I didn't get to?" Sophia continued he sighed, staring off at the long road ahead of them.

"Na, Daryl did though, what happened to you family kid?" He asked trying to get off questions about his life.

"He got bit, but Momma's looking for me with Daryl and the others." She said, not sounding all that sad that her abusive father had died Merle knew he wasn't no kid deserved that, if Merle ever had kids, he'd do what he could to do right by them, but in all honesty he'd be too scared he'd turn out like his pa to even have kids, too much of a temper on him.

They'd spent the first two days looking and for Sophia, now the group was split and hell if he knew why, he was sleeping on the floor of the RV, but he'd been woken up by the sound of Carol sobbing and Andrea cleaning her damn gun, that girl wasn't bad to look at but damn if she didn't rub him the wrong way, she never saw anything for what it was. He was beginning to think she was stupid.

He tried to shut his eyes again, but he just couldn't stand to listen to Carol cry, he had to do something, he knew how it felt to lose someone, and not a damn soul had cared when Merle went missing, he got one day, but, Daryl knew why at least Sophia, she was an innocent little girl and he'd help find her he had to. So he got up.

The next day when it got light the moved most of the group to some old mans farm, they set up a note for Sophia, and they made plans to check it every day. It didn't sit right with Daryl, at the farm they had a funeral for some guy named Otis, that Shane had obviously killed, then he was right back out there looking for that little girl.

He ended up with an arrow through the side, but he brought Sophia's doll back, they still had hope, took a bullet to the head, he'd be laid up for at least a day, more if they had anything to say about it. Carol had taken care of him, told him he was worth something, even kissed him.

This whole thing had them closer then he'd ever thought he'd be to anyone and it was nice, but with every passing day they lost hope, even his stupid flower speech was wearing off, but he'd find her, he wouldn't give up on that little girl.

It took almost three and a half days to get there with how often Sophia begged him to stop so she could pee, he was losing patients, but at least with her at his side he could guarantee that the group wouldn't shoot him on sight, they weren't on the best terms.

He parked the truck at the end of a huge jam in traffic, it would take a solid day to search all down the whole thing, but they were there. He set up a bit of a camp in the bed of the truck and pulled out the knives and the gun he'd snagged for her, he didn't want her getting bit.

"Come here girl, you know how to use these?" He asked screwing a silencer on both there guns so they could actually use them.

"No, Mamma wouldn't let me have one." She told him he sighed tucking the knives back in the bag, there was only a few hours a light left and he didn't have time to teach her how to use one, but the gun was pretty simple.

"Nothin to it girl, point this at it the things head line it up here, flick this switch and pull the trigger, make sure you turn the safety back on if ya ain't usein it, teach ya how to reload if ya need it, but for now just point and shoot." Merle demonstrated with one hand helping her figure out how to hold it.

"How'd you learn all this stuff?" She asked while they made there way through the cars, and Merle got ready to impale any walker that got close.

"By doin it." He said simply she looked between the gun and the walker in the distance, she had been so scared when they'd chased her before but if she'd known how to kill one then maybe she wouldn't be.

"C, Can I kill that one, I don't wanna be helpless anymore?" Sophia asked, he looked down at the fragile little girl, she could use experience if she wanted to survive in this place.

"Go for it kid." He said hesitating a few step so she was out front, he aimed over her head just in case, but he'd give her a chance. They came up on the thing and it turned to attack them, Sophia raised the gun clicking the safety off, at least she got that part. It took her three shots, but the thing went down with a hole in it's head.

"I did it, I did it!" She said happily jumping up and down happily, another one was coming up on them now.

"Ya did good kid, give that one a try." He told her, her little .38 special still had three more shots, but this time it only took two, might not even have taken that if the kid had more arm strength, it was the kick that was getting her.

"Look, I got him!" She said happily, he nodded it was hard not to be proud of the kid.

"Turn the safety back on and bring it here, I'll show ya how to reload the thing." He told her, she ran back to him and he showed her how to take the empty bullets and put new in. She watched captivated by his deft hands, and then she gave it a try herself, she was pretty good at it.

The rest of the day was spent quietly perfecting her aim since he had six boxes of ammo for the thing in the truck, he'd managed to nearly clear the out of those round since it wasn't a round they used too often.

He didn't have nearly as much ammo for his own gun, so it was good to conserve his and help her learn. By the time it started getting dark she was a pretty decent shot, he would never have guessed she'd never shot a gun before. They went back to the truck to sleep both feeling rather proud of themselves, but they hadn't found the group.

They had moved any cars they could, and collected a pretty good amount of extra gas, Sophia didn't care for siphoning gas as much as she did shooting, she said the gas tasted bad which was true, but the face she made had him laughing every time.

Merle pulled his knife off and fell onto his hand, and started his nightly routine to keep his bum hand strong enough to gore a walker. He'd be damned if he let being part of a group let him get lax, he hadn't survived this long for nothing, Sophia watched for a minute then tried to do her own exercises, but she got tired long before he was done doing his push ups, so instead she climbed onto his back adding extra weight.

"What the hell ya doin girl?" He asked not stopping his exercises, she pulled her feet up crossing her legs.

"I'm helping, I saw it in a movie once, now there's more weight, and you'll get stronger, I want to be as strong as you one day." She told him, he laughed, kids made no sense, always clinging to who evers around if she knew why he was helping her, and that if she weren't useful that he'd let her die, she wouldn't be so friendly.

"Won't get there fuckin sittin on me, go run around the truck or somethin." He told her, his bone in his bum arm rubbing against his prosthetic painfully, like it always did when he did this, it was all just a part of his workout.

"Okay!" She said hopping up and running around the truck until she dropped, he did the rest of his work out while she did, she did five more pushups before she went to bed, he didn't know where the kid got the energy to be so chipper.

Over the next three days they work there way down the road, it's slower then he'd like, but it's the only way to get the truck through, and the idea of leaving his truck makes him anxious, all his supplies are in it, and he fucking loved that thing.

Daryl spent the next three days recovering, finds out Lori's pregnant, and there are walkers in the barn, and then Shane does something truly stupid. He let the whole barn of walkers out at them putting all in danger, but at least the walkers were dead, it sent Hershel in a tail spin though, Daryl couldn't be bothered though, he still went out ever day looking for Sophia, even though everyone else seemed to have given up on her.

Carol was still hopeful but her realism seemed to be getting the better of her, she thanked Daryl that night though, said she was grateful someone still cared enough to look for her, Rick had said Hershel came first since they knew he was alive.

The next morning she told him to be careful because she didn't want to lose him too, it had set him off, she hadn't lost her little girl, she could still be out there, and it pissed him off that everyone was giving up on her.

"Guess that's for you girl." Merle said pointing at the sign painted on the window of a car with a pretty good amount of food and water and some kind a sports drink. They sat down and ate some of the treats that they'd left for her.

"See, I told you they were looking for me, what are we gonna do while we wait?" She asked, he shrugged, he was no good at entertaining kids, hell he hadn't spent so much time with one since Daryl had grown up.

"Up to you kid, ain't much good at sittin still." He said honestly, she reached into his bag and pulled out the knives he still hadn't taught her to use.

"You could teach me how to use these." she told him, so that's what they did they spent the next two days wandering close to the car and earning different things with the knives, and kept up with the gun. Merle was pretty sure with all her questions Sophia now knew him as well as Daryl, but when no one came to check the car in two days Merle got sick of waiting. He moved his truck off the road hiding it pretty well.

"Think it's about time I teach ya how to track, Daryl could do it better but he ain't around, and I ain't gonna wait around here no more." Merle told her, she nodded, she'd been getting restless too, but the down time had her doing adequately with a knife and since Merle worked out ever night, so did she, by the time they found the group she might actually have a shot at making it on her own.

"What are we gonna track?" She asked, going to him eager to learn, he smiled, he'd admit it the kid was growing on him.

"Daryl, well the group, Daryl's a bitch to track." Merle explained, she frowned.

"Why do you swear so much?" She asked, he laughed crouching down by there path, he was glad it hadn't really rained.

"Ain't go much of a vocabulary I guess, what's it to you girly?" He asked, she frowned in thought.

"I don't know, Daddy used to swear a lot, it always scared me when he'd swear." She told him, he sighed, reaching out and ruffling her hair.

"I ain't gonna hurt ya kid, but I'll do what I can to cut it back if it helps." He told her, she smiled hugging him, he froze, not sure what to do with the affection, he wasn't exactly used to hugs.

"You're way nicer then my real daddy." She told him, he smirked hugging her back, she was a good kid, and if it were up to him this would be the end of her hardships.

"Come on we ain't got all day, gonna have to camp in the woods tonight." He told her, he didn't like the idea any more then her, not that he minded the woods, he just loved his truck.. It took two and a half days to track them down and what they found had them both on the verge of breaking down.

Hershel came back with Rick and a stranger, but Daryl let them deal with that shit, he was too busy looking for Sophia, who he was no closer to finding then when he found her doll, he asked Dale if they'd been checking the car, and he said it had been a little more then two days since they'd gone, they'd figured if she hadn't been there by then she wasn't coming.

So that's where he went that day, and to his surprise he found the supplies had been taken, and the cars had been moved, Sophia would never have moved the cars, but some one had certainly been there, which he told the group. They were all afraid it was the boy in the barns group.

They tried to take him out and leave him, but they found out he knew Maggie so he came back, they were trying to decide weather or not to kill the id, Daryl didn't really care, but he took Dale's side for Carol she seemed to be bothered by the idea of killing the kid, he didn't see what harm the half pint could do if they kept him around on a leash.

They'd decided to put the kid down, then it all fell apart, Dale got torn open by a walker, they couldn't save him, Daryl had to put him down for Rick, he hadn't expected it to hurt so bad, then there prisoner had "escaped" and they'd gone out to find him, turned out Shane had let him out and snapped his neck but the kid turned anyway.

Then it got worse, he went back to the farm Carl was gone, and a shot had brought a herd down on them. The barn went up in flames and they ended up running, Daryl watched for Carol, but he couldn't find her in the fleeing groups, but then he heard a scream.

He whipped Merle's bike around to find whoever was screaming, it was Carol, he was almost painfully relieved when she climbed onto the back of his bike. The feel of her arms wrapped around his waist calmed him, he was so glad he hadn't failed to protect her too, the scene before them had even him doubting that they'd ever find Sophia.

Sophia was crying, and Merle was paralyzed, the farm that the tracks had lead to was burnt to embers still smoldering, and there were dozens of walkers wandering around the remnants of the quaint little farm.

"Merle was my Mamma here with Daryl?" Sophia sobbed looking up at him with huge innocent eyes. He picked her up hugging her, it was all he could do, and he needed the comfort himself.

"Nothing kills a Dixon, but a Dixon and ain't no way Daryl lets anything happen to your Mamma, now stop your blubbering, and lets take out these walkers so we can track them down eh girl." He told her, she nodded whipping her tears away and pulling out her gun.

"Thanks Merle, I got your back." She said sounding very grown up for her age, Merle ruffled her hair gently.

"Stay by me kid." He told her, they climbed past the fence and started slowly taking out the remaining walkers, it was slow work, but eventually they had taken out all of the walkers left on the farm the herd had obviously been much larger a few hours before.

"Come on kid, we'll sleep here, see if they left us any food." Merle said dragging the bodies together in the front yard. He lit them on fire, and they checked the kitchen, it was actually pretty well off yet.

"Oh, I can cook, I'll cook diner for us!" Sophia said excitedly pulling out food, Merle watched as she cut up food, no wonder she was handy with a knife, obviously her mamma had taught her how to cook, and she was pretty good at it.

"Tada!" She said happily presenting a plate of fried potato's and eggs, it was the only home cooked meal he'd had since the end of the world.

"This looks delicious girl." He said digging in, Sophia hopped up on a stool and pulled her own plate to her, they ate and Merle went with her to find a safe room to sleep in. He dragged a smaller bed into the big room, he didn't want to leave her alone all night.

"Will you tuck me in?" Sophia asked sitting on the edge of her bed, he looked over at her skeptically.

"Ain't no good at that kinda thing kid." Merle told her, she climbed into bed with a pout, the look she gave him had him laughing.

"Please, Daryl would do it if he were here!" Sophia pleaded, Merle rolled his eyes kicking his boots off before he went over to her bed, he pulled the blankets up to her chin, soothing her hair back gently.

"You got balls kid, now go to sleep." He told her rechecking that the doors were locked and that they both had at least one weapon within arms length before he got back in his own bed. Winter had the ground hard, and the night air chilled, and he was glad they had beds to sleep in tonight, but tracking was gonna be hard in these conditions.

Daryl and the group found a decent place to hole up for the night, but with all the shocking news the whole group was uneasy, Daryl had suspected that Rick had had to put down Shane, but the news that they were all infected was a bit of a shock, but it didn't change anything for him. He was worried about Carol though.

She was doubting Ricks leadership, and worried about the infection, he wanted to comfort her, but he was no good at it, she told him he was a man of honor, and that she wanted him to lead them, but Daryl had no interest in leadership.

He stayed close to her, let her ride on the back of his bike when they were on the move, and slept next to her at night, they joked together, and comforted each other, fought, and confided in each other, he'd never been so close to anyone. They were both broken up over losing Sophia, and she wanted to be strong for the group so he was teaching her how to defend herself.

They spent a long time on the run, and just when he was starting to worry about the group they found the prison. They finally had a safe place, all they had to do was clear it out.

Merle and Sophia tried to track the group but they lost them on the road, Merle brought his truck over to the farm, it was the best place they had to hole up while Merle kept trying to find a trail, he walled up the farm as best as he could, they kept looking, and Merle kept helping Sophia learn how to use her new weapons.

But it took forever to track them down, hell he'd been away from the governor's place for almost a year now, and had no intention of going back, and Sophia was damn good with a gun, could throw a knife better then he could, and was a hell of an ass kicker. Merle finally found Maggie, and Glenn at a little store while they were out on a run.

"I'll be damned, china man made it, my brother?" Merle asked holding his gun out to the side, then setting it on the ground, Sophia was in the store yet looking for supplies.

"He's alive." Glenn told him, Merle sighed then another question popped into his head, one he would never have asked if it weren't for Sophia.

"Carol?" He asked, Glenn made a face like he'd just asked if they'd seen Daryl's chupacabra running around.

"Um, she went missing." Glenn finally told him, Merle sighed again, that little girl would be so destroyed, he'd promised he'd get her back to her mamma, and now he never would.

"Tell ya what, ya take me to 'em and I'll forget about everything that happened on that roof top, no hard feelins?" Merle offered, Glenn still looked wary, but Maggie who'd never met Merle just looked confused.

"You wait here, I'll tell Daryl you're here, he'll come to you." Merle could feel the rage bubbling to the surface, he was about to do something stupid, but just then Sophia came out of the store with a basket full of supplies, and her gun trained on Glenn.

"Merle, what's going on, Glenn why are you pointing a gun at Merle?" Sophia asked, looking between the two groups more then ready to pull the trigger at a man she once knew, they'd run into a few of the governor's raiding parties, she'd killed a few living men before.

"Sophia!?" Glenn was so shocked he lowered his weapon, Merle normally would have used the moment to take his gun, but he was pretty sure they'd take Sophia with them, so he'd wait it out.

"The little girl you lost?" Maggie asked, Glenn nodded still staring, she didn't look like the innocent little girl they'd lost, she looked like, well she looked like a Dixon.

"Is my mamma okay, and Daryl, are they okay?" Sophia asked looking to Merle, Merle smiled.

"I'm sorry baby girl." He told her, her confused smile fading to a look of horror she ran to him, and he crouched down catching her in a strong bear hug while she sobbed into him.

"I'm all alone now?" She sobbed, he frowned looking over at Glenn, he wasn't fond of affectionate displays, but he held her back slightly soothing her hair back.

"Coarse you're not, ya got me baby girl, and as long as ya got me, ya got Daryl, you're a Dixon now girl." He told her, she turned her attention to Glenn and with big hopeful eyes asked him.

"Can I see my Mamma again, her, her grave, and Merle misses his brother, please, will you take us to them?" Sophia pleaded, Merle saw the look on her face, it broke his heart and knew they would, even he couldn't resist that look.

"Yes, a, of coarse, you can follow us back." Glenn offered, Maggie still looked confused, but she didn't say anything. Everyone piled into there respective vehicles, they offered to let Sophia ride with them, but she shook her head and hopped into Merle's truck.

It was a long drive, but eventually they came to a prison, Merle had been here before when he'd worked for the governor, he'd deemed it too dangerous to take, guess his brother had proven him wrong,

"Thank you Merle, I know you'll always look after me, and I know Daryl will be happy to see you." Sophia asked, he looked over at her reaching across to ruffle her hair.

"Coarse baby girl, you're family now, and he's my brother. We're gonna make it through this hell kid." He said as they were stopped at the gate, Sophia had been crying silently since she'd gotten in the truck, and he'd let her.

"Stop blubbering now girl, ain't good to let 'em see ya cry." He told her soothing her hair down now that he had a free hand, she sniffed whipping the tears away and scooting closer, he put his bum arm around her shoulder on the back of the seat, he was all she had now, despite the fact that he'd had no affection for her when he found her, she was his responsibility now, and Merle Dixon wasn't one to shirk his responsibilities, even if he'd never had that many.

"Who's with ya?" A small red haired greasy looking man asked accompanied by a rather large black man, neither of which Merle recognized, but then again he hadn't recognized Sophia either.

"Merle and Sophia, they're lost members of our group, go get Daryl, he'll want to know we found them." Glenn told the small man, Axle nodded and ran off while Otis, the black man stayed to open the gate.

"You still got your weapons hid?" Merle asked, he didn't know how much the group had changed, and he didn't want to take any risks. She nodded and they drove into the yard slowly behind Glenn, and Maggie's car.

Daryl came out of the prison his cross bow aimed at the unfamiliar truck, but nearly dropped the thing on the ground when he saw who was in it. Merle and Sophia got out of the truck together with Sophia holding Merle's prosthetic with on hand, her other on her gun.

"Merle!?" Daryl asked in disbelief, he just knew this had to be a dream, there was no way in one day he'd been reunited with the three lost people he'd been searching for, no way Carol, the woman he loved, Sophia the innocent girl he'd failed, and Merle his big brother had all come back.

"Baby brother, get your ass over here and give ol Merle a hug!" Merle hollered but Daryl had turned his head towards Sophia now and was too stunned to move.

"How, I thought I'd lost ya both." Daryl gaped, Merle smiled weakly, he wished there was something he could do to make this easier on both his younger brother, and his young charge.

"Group picked my ass up on the verge of death, saved my ass, but I left when I found her, needed to find my baby brother, and I ain't trust them as far as she could throw 'em." Merle explained, Daryl shook away his shock shouldered his bow and came forward to hug his brother.

Daryl hugged Merle the wait of the world rolling off his shoulders, then he turned to Sophia scooping her up in a hug too. Merle was almost as shocked as Sophia to see his brother do it, but he'd spent a whole summer looking for that little girl and he needed to know she was real.

"Let's take you to your Mamma girl, she's gonna die when she sees ya." Daryl said setting Sophia down gently, tears welled up in her eyes and she turned away to hide behind Merle, who reached out and smacked Daryl upside the head.

"China man told us she was dead, no need to rub it in ya fucker." Merle scolded him, Daryl looked at him indignantly.

"Ain't rubbin nothin in ya fuck, we found Carol alive after they left, she's inside, for fucks sake." Daryl told them rubbing the back of his head like a scolded child, Glenn and Maggie watched this in amusement, infinitely more enthused now that they knew Carol was alive to see her little girl.

"R, really, my Mamma's alive!?" Sophia pleaded looking to Daryl for the answer, he nodded with a genuine smile.

"Come on kid, lets get you to your Mamma." Daryl told her, she smiled genuinely up at Merle wrapping her free had around Merle's bum hand and pulling him after her as she followed Daryl into the prison.

They didn't run into anyone else on the way in, it was a pretty well set up place, thick walls and locked doors. They even had the yard with the fence that they could grow crops in, with fresh water coming in.

"Carol, got a surprise for ya girl." Daryl called out, Beth and Hershel came out first and stopped in there tracks at the strangers that those two had never met, then Carol stepped out weakly and almost collapsed when she saw Sophia standing before her.

"Mamma!" Sophia exclaimed running to her mother and hugging her around the waist Carol dropped to her knees crying tears of joy and clinging to her little girl. Daryl smiled sweetly at the scene before him, he looked over at Merle expecting him to mock him, but instead he saw a mirror of his own expression.

He'd never seen his brother look like that before, but then again he was pretty sure his brother had never seen that look on his face either, Sophia had been gone for almost a year, Merle must have found her not long after she was lost. He would never have taken care of a kid before, but the way he looked at Sophia was something resembling the way he had looked at Daryl when they were kids before there mother had died.

"Sophia, my baby girl, where, how did you, my baby, I'm so glad you're okay, what happened to you baby!?" Carol sobbed happily fussing over her little girl, Sophia was smiling and crying too.

"I had to run from a walker, and I got lost, then Merle saved me, and he promised to take me home, and he protected me and took care of me, we're family now Mamma." She explained, Carol looked up at Merle with tears in her eyes. She let go of Sophia getting up and she hugged Merle, the look on his face was priceless, never seen him so shocked.

"Thank you Merle, thank you for protecting my little girl, thank you so much!" She sobbed turning back to Sophia pulling her into her arms.

"Ain't no big thing girl, she ain't need that much protectin these days." Merle told her awkwardly, Daryl and Carol both looked at him curiously, he cocked an eyebrow at Sophia and there eyes followed to Sophia's hand which was still resting on the gun Merle had given her, it was second nature to her now, just the way Merle had taught her.

"Sophia, baby, did Merle teach you how to use that?" Carol asked, Daryl knew that answer, Merle wouldn't have let her have the gun if she couldn't use it.

"Ya, I can kill a walker from 6 yards now with a gun, and twelve feet with a knife. Merle taught me so I can protect you now." She told them, Daryl nodded, it was pretty good for her size, and the gun.

"I'm so proud of you baby girl." Carol told her, only Daryl understood the undertone of, how dare you teach my baby to kill things, not that she'd say it, she was too grateful to have her daughter back at all.

"Come on, find ya a place to sleep, then we'll get ya somethin to eat." Daryl said to his brother in an attempt to give the two women some time alone. Merle nodded, looking a little reluctant to leave Sophia.

"Oh, Mamma, can they have the room next to ours, they're family now right, then Merle could still tuck me in." Sophia said, Daryl grinned trying to suppress a laugh at the idea of Merle tucking in the girl before them.

"Shut up asshole, I ain't gonna be far kid, I'll make damn sure." Merle told her after he smacked Daryl upside the head, she smiled. Daryl tried in vein to stop grinning, but it was funny and he was happy.

"I ain't see no reason he can't take the cell next to yours, not sure how keen ya are on sleepin in a cell though, got myself a spot on the lookout up there if ya prefer." Daryl told him when he'd stopped laughing.

"Prefer the look out, no hard feelins kid, but sleepin in a cage just aint my thing spent too much time in 'em before." He told her, which made Carol wonder what he'd done to go to jail, and if Daryl had ever spent time in jail.

"Cause of the drugs hu?" Sophia commented, like she knew his whole back story. he nodded.

"Among other things." Merle mumbled, Daryl looked over at his brother like he'd grown a third arm, he never told anyone about his past, even before.

"Like what?" She asked like it were the natural thing to do, Daryl was flabbergasted by the whole scene.

"Assault, joy ridin, that kinda thing, me and Daryl got two weeks one time for poachin, hell if we knew it was a wildlife reserve." Merle laughed, Daryl chuckled too, that had been a hell of a day, they'd tried to run, but Merle would leave the deer.

"It's funny cause now you do those kinds of things all the time, except the drugs, and no body even care, it's expected." Sophia commented, they all looked at each other, the girl had a point.

"It's a funny world we live in girl, now go be with your Mamma, I need to find my place, and get some grub, starvin." He told her, she nodded, and Daryl took the queue to lead him to his perch. "What was that brother, you ain't never been big on sharin, that little girl just ask and ya tell?" Daryl asked as they went up the stairs.

"Girl don't quit once she gets a question in her head, ya don't answer, she'll pester ya all damn week." Merle explained, not that it made much more sense, Merle wasn't a patient man, hell if Daryl had pestered him for an answer for more then five minutes, he'd a smacked him.

"Here it is, ain't much, but it beats the hell outta sleepin outside." Daryl offered, gesturing to his own unkempt bed.

"Been holed up in that farm y'all burnt up, it ain't half bad now, me and the kid cleared it out tryin to track ya down." Merle told him, Daryl shook his head.

"Ya always were crazy Merle." Daryl laughed, Merle shook his head.

"Speakin a crazy, what's goin on between ya and Carol?" Merle asked giving him the same look he had given him when Daryl had had his first girlfriend.

"Ain't nothin goin on, we're friends." Daryl said looking back at his bed to avoid Merle's stare, Merle laughed.

"Bullshit, I ain't never seen ya look at a friend like that, so don't fuckin lie to me, far as I know she's a decent lady." Merle snarled, Daryl cocked an eyebrow at him, Merle had never given a shit about who he was with.

"She's a hell of a lady, but there ain't nothin goin on, not for lack a tryin, but all the same." Daryl explained, he was painfully awkward with women, but him and Carol, well they had something good, and he didn't want to fuck it up.

"Come on boy grow some balls, that girls got it bad for you, and your over here pussyfootin around like a fucking girl, man up." Merle ordered him, Daryl found himself shaking his head, his brother was practically a different person, but then Daryl had always know Merle could be like this, he just usually chose not to be.

"Merle! What the hell's goin on in here, when'd we find Merle?" Rick fumed as he came back into the cell block to talk to Daryl, Merle turned ready to defend himself but for the first time ever he had more then his share of folks who wanted to do it for him.

"He brought my baby girl back to me Rick, he found Sophia." Carol explained, Sophia waved one hand resting on her gun.

"Where'd we find them?" Rick asked calmer now, again Merle didn't get the chance to answer for himself.

"We ran into them at the store when we went to pick up formula." Glenn explained, Carl came out of a cell looking around.

"Keep it don I just got Judith to... Sophia!" Carl gasped and ran over to her hugging her, Sophia smiled genuinely, Merle glared at the boy like an over protective father.

"I thought we'd never find you again." He said letting her go, she giggled.

"No, I can take care of myself, well and Merle helped, he saved me." Sophia explained, Carl turned to Merle and walked right up to him holding his hand out to shake Merle's.

"Thank you so much, we were all so scared we'd lost her." Carl said shaking his good hand, Merle was shocked how mature the boy sounded, but glared none the less.

"No problem, officer Jr." Merle muttered, Daryl chuckled, and Carl turned to his father with a determined look.

"He can stay right?" Carl asked, Rick sighed shaking his head.

"Of coarse." Rick told him, Sophia Smiled running over to grab Merle, Daryl watched her take him off to help set up his bed, so he went over to Carol and put his arm around her waist, she looked over at him in shock.

"Hell of a family we got here." Daryl said watching Merle and Sophia, he turned to look at Carol who was smiling up at him, so he took his brothers advice and kissed her, no care for who was watching them.

It was a soft undemanding kiss, and Carol happily returned it, when they finally broke apart for need of air, she found herself staring into his stormy blue eyes, he was right, they were a hell of a family.

**-THE END-**


End file.
